Brace yourselves: a ‘super flu’ is making its rounds, and it could mean serious trouble for many. This flu season, a particularly concerning variant is dominating headlines, raising alarms among health experts. Let's dive in and understand what's happening.
This isn't just any flu; we're talking about a variant of influenza A H3N2, known as subclade K. It's already causing an early and severe flu season in the United Kingdom, according to the British Medical Journal.
This strain has crossed the Atlantic and is now the most common strain in the United States, causing very high levels of flu in several states, including New York, Rhode Island, Colorado, and Louisiana, and high levels in many others, as reported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Neil Maniar, director of the master of public health program at Northeastern University, explains that the UK's experience is a harbinger of what we might expect here, suggesting a difficult flu season ahead. He highlights that the current dominant strain can lead to “some pretty serious illness.”
But here's where it gets controversial: the vaccine's effectiveness this year might be lower than usual. The flu strain has undergone multiple mutations in the hemagglutinin surface proteins, which are used to trigger antibody responses in vaccine production. This means the vaccine isn't as well-matched to the circulating virus as it could be.
Brandon Dionne, a Northeastern University associate clinical professor, points out that because of these mutations, the vaccine isn't as effective against this specific H3N2 strain.
Typically, flu vaccines have an efficacy rate between 40% and 60%. However, early reports from the UK estimate an efficacy rate of 32% to 39% in adults and 72% to 75% in children, based on reduced hospitalizations.
Despite the mismatch, getting the flu vaccine is still essential. As Maniar emphasizes, one of the main goals of the flu vaccine is to reduce the severity of illness if you do contract the flu. The CDC recommends that everyone 6 months old and above get vaccinated. While the ideal time for vaccination was September or October, it's still beneficial to get vaccinated now. It takes about two weeks to build up a solid immune response, but you start developing some immunity within days.
And this is the part most people miss: If you do get the flu, the treatment is the same as for other influenza viruses. Oseltamivir (Tamiflu) is an oral medication that is most effective when started as soon as possible after symptoms appear, typically shortening the duration of symptoms by 12 to 24 hours. Sometimes, it's even used in high-risk patients before symptoms develop. There are also home testing kits available that can test for both flu A and B, along with COVID-19.
Common symptoms of influenza include cough, headache, muscle aches, fatigue, and sweating and chills, as noted by the Mayo Clinic.
While it's uncertain if the current variant is more virulent, the concern is that it will be more widespread. The CDC reports 4.6 million flu cases, including 49,000 hospitalizations and 1,900 deaths this flu season, including two among children.
As Maniar concludes, “This can be a very serious illness. We need to take it seriously, and we need to take measures to protect ourselves.” He anticipates this flu season will be a tough one.
What are your thoughts on this year's flu season? Do you think the reduced vaccine effectiveness is a major concern? Share your opinions in the comments below!
